The 5f and 89 yards Handicap at York looks like being run at a very fast tempo with the likes of Captain Dunne and Glamorous Spirit in the field, however we have seen before that the latter barely gets 5f before her run peters out, but she has the assistance of Fallon so may do better. Captain Dunne led the field in the Group 2 at Goodwood so will find this easier although the cheek pieces which may have sparked him up there are left off this time.
Strike up the Band has lost his form of late but his trainer hasn't and the horse has dropped over 10lb in the ratings recently and is now down to a mark of 90 and if he were to find his form again he would surely go close as he was only 3 lengths and 4 lengths off the winner in the 2008(race run twice) and 2009 Group 1 Prix de la Abbaye's at Longchamp, however he maybe being targeted at that again, but he is well drawn and Nicholls could have run others in this.
Oldjoesaid is another that has been dropping in the ratings at an alarming rate and he seems to have lost his form altogether for his new stable.
Quest for Success ran well to finish 5th in the Great St Wilfred on the wrong side of the track, however he had a hard race there and he is not known for reappearing quickly but he is well drawn this time and could be bang there at the end.(He did actually win after running in another race 3 days earlier last October. He will like the going it if it goes soft.
Cheveton probably needs it a bit softer too to show his best and Haajes would appear to be out of his class in this.
Hamish McGonagall could go well as he has run well here in the past as it is a flat track, however he will be taken on for the lead in this and I'm not sure he likes that.
Sir Gerry has just his 2nd run for the Dwyer stable after finishing 7th in the Stewards Cup and he may benefit from the likely strong pace in this and will be runing on at the end. The talented apprentice Adam Beschizza takes off a valuable 7lb and 16/1 is a good price in my view as he was only beaten 4 1/2 lengths in the Stewards Cup off 106 and with the 7lb claim you could say he was off 98 for this.
There is some rain expected overnight which you had better check out in the morning on the BHB website "Going Reports" in case there has been a deluge.
Hopefully there will be no non runners with the rain and we will get the 4 places as I would be looking at doing both Sir Gerry and Strike up the Band ew who are both at double figure odds.
